Scotland 2014

Over the October Bank Holiday weekend in Ireland, we spent a long weekend in October.  When we bought the tickets, we thought it would be good to get a break from the unpacking after the move.  HA!

Instead, it was a needed break from the stress of the upcoming move (which occurred the following weekend), as well as a change for LBJs parents to get a much needed break from us (without having to leave their house.

We had a great time in Edinburgh, aside from the kids whining every time we were in a restaurant.

Getting the kids excited about economics!

Needless to say, I was quite excited to come across this statue!  I hadn't realized that Adam Smith was from Scotland and had lived in Edinburgh.

We enjoyed the touristy spots - the Castle and the Queen's Scottish residence.  LBJ and I enjoyed the food - had some excellent surf (LBJ) and turf (me).  I even found time for a "wee dram" of the good stuff.

A windy moment atop Edinburgh Castle

There were a couple of keys to success for the trip.  First, either a guided tour or a self-guided audio are very useful at entertaining the girls (and, to a lesser extent, me) - kids' version are particularly good.  Second, having a kids' focused area is a big plus, especially if there are costumes where the girls can dress up.  We found these at Holyrood Palace and the National Museum of Scotland.  Third, a separate bedroom for the girls is very important as well; a separate room for each would be even better but usually not worth the extra money.

Audio tours are the key to happiness in our household

The real reason for the trip was for me to present a paper at the University of Edinburgh.  I enjoyed meeting people and got some good feedback on the paper.  Not to mention a pint, a good meal, and the afore-mentioned wee dram.  It was a just a little strange that there were no Scots among the staff, and at least half the staff were from outside the UK.

One happy kid (no, the beer is not hers)

Oh, that reminds me, the above photo shows another essential part of a good trip with the kids - coloring books.  Keeps the kids entertained in restaurants.

We'd definitely return to Edinburgh, as there are plenty of sights that we didn't see.  The flight was short - under an hour - and cheap - around 70 euro per person, round-trip.